Double double. (The Music).

Last time around, Tom Lyle and Ye Grumpy Olde Editor did what we usually do in this column, independently auditioning two competing recordings of large-scale orchestral music--and yes, we mean really large-scale--Bruckner's Symphony No. 8. This time around, however, we decided to try something we have never before done in this column: to compare two recordings of popular rather than classical music.

In 2002, Brian Wilson released a live version of Pet Sounds (titled Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds Live, Sanctuary Records 06076-84556-2), his tribute to his classic album with the Beach Boys (Capital 72435-26266-2-5), which had originally appeared in 1966. Tom and I thought it would be fascinating to compare rock recordings made more than 35 years apart. As always, we refrained from discussing these two recordings with each other and have written our remarks entirely independently. Because this is an even-numbered issue, Tom will lead off with his observations and then I will present things from my point of view.

TL: The live album of Brian Wilson "recreating" the Pet Sounds album is nowhere near as brilliant an album as the original. Sure, the sound quality is much, much, better. Especially noteworthy is the percussion, which seems so lifelike it has a presence that comes close to the real thing on my stereo. The original Pet Sounds has no bass or treble extension to speak of. It severely lacks definition, and it is bathed in cheesy 1960s reverb. But it hardly matters. The band's performance of Brian Wilson's songs transcends all of this. Some, with much substantiation, consider it to be a work of genius. I heard in an interview with Brian Wilson that after listening to the Beatles' Rubber Soul, he wanted an album as good as that one--where every song is great, with no filler whatsoever. Both the original Pet Sounds and his new live rendition uphold this. They are all great songs.

I think Mr. Wilson's voice sounds surprisingly good for his age. But there is no denying that it sounds much more mature than on the original. They were kids then, and it sounds like kids singing. There is also a youthful energy that he cannot match these days no matter how hard he tries.

I think a good comparison is Roger Water's recent live versions of Pink Floyd songs. Yes, he is the singer on the original albums of these songs that he wrote. But his back-up band on the new versions, although comprised of extremely talented musicians, is not the original Pink Floyd. The versions are very entertaining, and I admit extraordinary renditions of these songs. But they are not as good as the originals--and no amount of surround-sound hocus-pocus can change that.

And so I think Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds Live is a fine album, as long as you don't compare it directly to the original (as we are doing here). Unless your only intent is to just enjoy it for what it is, or see how it differs from the original without expecting it to be a meticulously magical time-traveling sonic masterpiece. Which it obviously isn't. But I seriously doubt that Mr. Wilson intended it to be. He most ...